This is the first of a couple reviews in an attempt to get caught up on Ring of Honor. On this episode, we are supposed to see the ROH debut of Rush (who just recently signed with the company for a long-term deal) along with the battle of the former drinking buddies as Silas Young takes on the Beer City Bruiser.
Let's do this!
ROH (1/18/19)
- Our opening match is a 1st Round Match in a tournament to determine a #1 Contender for the ROH TV Championship: Facade vs. Eli Isom. Isom and Facade don't seem to have much chemistry in the ring in the early going. Both guys look to be trying to feel the pace of how the other works and are left standing awkwardly in a couple spots. Isom dives at Facade on the outside and overshoots him to the point where both men hit really hard into the guard rail behind them. (This isn't ballet, I know. But still, that was legitimately a scary moment.) After break, both men are thankfully going back at it in the ring. Facade hits a Step-Up Springboard 450 Clothesline to Isom on the floor. Roaring Elbow by Isom in the ring. Burning Hammer by Facade and a Shotgun Dropkick off the middle of the ropes. Only a 2 count though. Isom gets a lariat in. Brainbuster gets the win for Isom.
(The match definitely picked up in the latter moments after some awkwardness in the beginning. Isom continues to impress and should be someone ROH continues to build up.)
- Kelly Klein cuts a promo backstage about defending the title anytime and anywhere. Any 1-on-1 match with Kelly Klein will be for the Women of Honor Championship. (I like this. It gives her something fresh to do with the belt, and it puts some prestige on every singles match that she's involved in. Just don't face Harvey Whippleman, ok?)
- We get a review of the formation of Villain Enterprises.
- TK O'Ryan faces the debuting Rush next. Dueling chants for Rush and TK. Really good opening sequence between the two men here with dueling Germans and a double dropkick attempt. Rush calls TK's mother something in Spanish that the censors have to edit out. The two go back and forth trading shots and chops as we go to commercial break.
(I just had a thought: With the ROH/NJPW event coming up at Madison Square Garden, wouldn't it be cool to see Naito, Rush, and maybe Shingo team up as a Los Ingobernables team against The Kingdom? Of course you can add more to each side to make it a 10 man tag if desired, but it'd be cool to see more interaction with Rush and the splinter group LIJ given the connection between ROH and NJPW.)
We return from break to see Rush continue to take it to TK. HARD CHOPS by both men. Rush eventually takes TK down and mock kicks him in the face. Tranquilo pose. Both men start fighting on the floor. TK gets the advantage and tries to choke Rush with his wrist tape. Rush answers back a few moments later with an Overhead Belly-to-Belly Suplex into the corner. Both men just continue to beat the hell out of each other with corner splashes. Spinebuster by TK for a CLOSE 2 count. Both men are on the corner as RUSH HITS A BIG SUPERPLEX! Rush is going into another gear and hits a running dropkick into the face of a seated TK. TK is out as Rush covers for the 3.
(Very good match here for both Rush and TK. I don't know if TK has ever looked as good as he did in this match. Rush brought out something in him that I hope to see again in the future. As for Rush, I've seen him wrestle a couple times on MLW. He's a great athlete and absolutely charismatic. He'll be a great addition to the ROH roster, and I expect big things from him in ROH going forward.)
Balloons rise from the ringside area as The Kingdom beats up Rush in the ring. They get a bunch of chairs out. Triple Conchairto to the head of Rush. (I might be getting my wish.)
- The main event is Silas Young vs. Beer City Bruiser in a battle of the former drinking buddies and another 1st Round Match in the #1 Contendership Tournament for the ROH TV Championship. Silas gets a good reaction as does the Beer City Bruiser who comes out with the keg. Bruiser gets on the mic and discusses how Silas used him to rise to the top. He tells Silas that he sucks. Bruiser wants a NO DQ match instead of a wrestling contest. I guess it is on then. Silas jumps him to start the match.
CACTUS CLOTHESLINE OVER THE TOP TO THE FLOOR BY BRUISER! Wow! A game of Cat and Mouse is played between the two men as Young catches Bruiser with a clothesline off the corner, knocking Bruiser onto the apron. Bruiser knocks Silas off the apron onto a chair and does a CANNONBALL off the apron onto the seated Silas. We return from break to see Bruiser laying on the mat while chairs and tables are set up throughout the area. Silas continues to press the attack on Bruiser and sets up a table in the corner of the ring. Bruiser get the advantage and hits a CANNONBALL INTO SILAS THROUGH THAT TABLE! 2 count only.
Moments later, both men are brawling on the floor. Silas gets suplexed on the floor. Bruiser puts Silas on a bed of opened chairs. He climbs up... to the top of a corner!!! Silas sees this and moves out of the way. Silas climbs up that corner with Bruiser. Bruiser HIP TOSSES SILAS OFF THE TOP ROPE! Beer City Slam on a chair ONLY gets a 2 as we go to another commercial break.
We return to see Bruiser putting Silas on another bed of opened chairs in the ring and climbs up the corner. Silas catches Bruiser and THROWS HIM THROUGH THE CHAIRS! 2 count only. Silas gets a bunch of Zip Ties and ties up Bruiser to the ropes. Silas starts slamming and throwing chairs into Bruiser. MIlonas comes out to help out Bruiser. He knocks down Silas and cuts the Zip Ties. Milonas puts a chair on Silas in the corner, but he gets hit with a chair by Silas and THROWN OFF THE CORNER THROUGH A TABLE ON THE FLOOR! An "ECW" chant starts from the crowd. (That's a HUGE man to be taking that kind of a bump. Hats off to all three of these guys.) Silas runs into a Single Leg Dropkick by Bruiser. Bruiser puts a chair on Silas and hits a Vader Bomb Elbow Drop for a 2 count. Bruiser sets up another table in the ring and picks up a keg. He hits Silas with it and puts Young on the table. He climbs up the corner again. FROG SPLASH MISSES PUTTING BRUISER THROUGH THE TABLE! MISERY TO THE BIG MAN! 1-2-3! Silas will face Eli Isom in the finals of the mini-tournament.
(That was a really good hardcore match. It was a straight-up fight between the two men with both taking their fair share of punishment. Kudos to all three men involved in this match as it definitely entertained.)
Overall, this was an excellent edition of ROH TV. You had a tournament to determine a challenger for a championship. You also had video vignettes for both your major champions in Kelly Klein and Jay Lethal. You had the debut of a big star for ROH in Rush, and that's leading to a likely feud between Rush and The Kingdom. Then, to top it all off, you get this awesome street fight between two former allies turned enemies. Ring of Honor is far from dead, ladies and gentlemen.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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